Agency consults on waste food report

Wednesday 22 January 2003

The Food Standards Agency is consulting on a report that looks into the controls for the safe disposal of waste by-products from slaughtered animals. Waste by-products are the parts of the animal not intended for, or unfit for, human consumption.

The report has been written by the Waste Food Task Force, set up by the FSA in December 2001 as part of the Agency's seven-point action plan to prevent waste food from being illegally diverted into the food chain.

The remit of the group, that is independent of the Agency and made up of a panel of experts from enforcement, industry and consumer backgrounds, was to look broadly at the controls over the safe disposal of the waste by-products from slaughtered animals.

Andrew Hopkin, Chair of the Waste Food Task Force and Chief Environmental Health Officer at Derby City Council, said: 'It is vital to the UK food industry that consumers have confidence in the quality, wholesomeness and safety of the food they eat.

'This is a wide ranging report into the controls on waste food and the measures that may be needed to tighten the controls.'

The report examines in detail the existing system of controls. These include the current way that industry operates currently; the legislation, particularly the Animal By-products Order 1999; the work of the Meat Hygiene Service; liaison between enforcement agencies, particularly the need to involve local authorities; the penalties available to punish offenders; and the anomalous position played by the group of middle men known as 'food brokers'.

The 12-week consultation process, covering England, is seeking comment on the report, in particular what parties think about the series of 24 recommendations.

Once the consultation period closes, on Thursday 17 April, the report and the issues raised in the consultation will be separately considered by the FSA, Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and other Government departments.

Issues affecting the Agency will be put in a paper to the FSA Board later this year.